


Everybody Lies

by I_Got_Tired_of_Looking_for_a_Name



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Cuz House, Drug Use, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'll add tags as we go, WIP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:55:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25122751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Got_Tired_of_Looking_for_a_Name/pseuds/I_Got_Tired_of_Looking_for_a_Name
Summary: You are a new member on House's team, but things start off on a rocky start. How long will you last on his team? Can you keep up? How much longer can you keep your past hidden from Gregory House?Currently being rewritten
Comments: 9
Kudos: 14





	1. Prologue- You Can't Always Get What You Want

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Key-  
> Y/N= Your first name  
> L/N= Your last name

When House burst open her doors and limped into her office, Cuddy knew she was going to have a bad day. 

“What do you want, House?” Cuddy asked, even though she knew exactly what he was there for. 

“What is this?” He asked harshly, practically slamming a piece of paper on her desk. Cuddy knew he was trying to intimidate her, but she was already used to this behavior from House. She picked the paper up and skimmed it. She didn’t need to; she had written it. 

“It’s an application. I need you to sign it. That’s why it was on your desk, not mine."

“It’s an application for another specialist for my team. I already have three!” 

“House, this doctor is amazing, and they have so much potential. She will be good for your team, and she can do good here. Besides, you could do with another woman on your team," Cuddy tried to reason, but there was hardly ever any reasoning with House. 

“My team doesn’t need a wide-eyed teacher's pet from Harvard or Stanford, or wherever she came from!” House all but yelled, pacing in front of Cuddy's desk. 

“You haven’t even met her, or read her file, apparently!" Cuddy argued, not willing to let him win this argument. 

"And I don't need to. My team, and this hospital, are doing good enough without her and they'll be fine without her." 

"Just because we're doing 'good enough' doesn't mean we can't do better! We are a teaching hospital and we can teach her. Besides, she’s interesting. She’s not wide-eyed, stupid, or a total and complete idiot. She’s had experience with things outside of a school and hospital. And everything that went on with her was off-record, so you won’t find anything on her in whatever digging you do. In other words, she’s a puzzle” Cuddy finished with a smile. House looked up at her when she said this. That got his attention.

When he didn’t say anything, Cuddy sighed and said, “Give her a month, put her through whatever trials you want. If she survives, she stays."

House actually thought about her offer for a second, stopping his pacing and facing his boss from the other side of the desk. 

"And if she doesn't?" 

"You get a week off of clinic duty" She offered. 

"I get three weeks and she gets one." He bargained. 

"Perfect, sign the paper! Then you can go back to your office and read her file" Cuddy replied, already getting exasperated by the argument. Well, by House.

House was obviously contemplating this for a moment. A puzzle? What secrets does this girl hide? Well, this'll give him a chance to see how his team will react if she arrives. And she won't be here long, not after trying to work for House for a week.

House grabbed a pen from Cuddy's desk and sloppily signed off on the application before turning around and leaving the office, not saying a word. But, alas, just as the doors closed behind him, Cuddy heard him yell over his shoulder. 

“She won’t even last a day!” 

Cuddy sighed; This was going to be a long week. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading! There'll be more to come in the next week or so.  
> Criticism, opinions, thoughts, etc., is welcome, so feel free to drop a comment or kudo, whatever you feel like.  
> Again, thanks for reading and stay safe!


	2. Boring Wallets and Traitorous Pockets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! New chapter! I got on a roll yesterday so I decided to go ahead and post this one. Enjoy!

_You raced through the_ _hospital_ _hallways frantically, the walls so high you couldn’t see where the ceiling ended and lights so low you could barely make out your hands in front of you. You ran down the hallway, turning on corners randomly and quickly_ _in a fruitless effort to_ _get away, to get somewhere safe. You could hear them coming. Footsteps of dozens of people coming for you. You could hear it from every direction. There were no windows, all the doors were locked, and it seemed that the hallways were never_ _-_ _ending._

 _You turned another corner and came face to face with an older woman in a hospital gown, pale and graying hair. Her face was expressionless, and she didn't say anything as she threw herself on you and reached to grab your arms. You felt her cold hands_ _hold onto_ _your forearms,_ _and then_ _another pair, just as cold, taking hold of your leg and more and more piling on top of you as a mob of people of all ages, shapes, and sizes piled onto you, wrestling to tear at you_ _._ _T_ _he only thing_ _they had in_ _common was the hospital gowns_ _and the desire to rip you part_ _._ _You heard yourself scream, the only sound there was as the patients clawed at every part of your body-_

You sat bolt upright, waking up in cold sweat in your room. You looked around wildly, feeling yourself trembling, even though you had already woken up. Your heart was beating rapidly, and you tried to slow down your breathing. You whispered into your bedroom, 

"It was just a nightmare."

You repeated it to yourself like a mantra. Your eyes trailed your room, focusing on the window, then on the moonlight seeping in. The light illuminated a couple of the books you had on a shelf by your door. You focused on each of the books and tried to focus on what each of them was about. They seemed to glow in the dark room, making them seem almost ethereal. 

Eventually, your breathing had evened out and your heart had decided to calm down. You looked at the time, the red lights of your alarm clock creating an eerie look to the rest of the room, the shadows of red mixing with the dark figures that were your furniture. 

_4_ _:_ _2_ _3 am_

You knew you weren't going to fall back asleep and you didn't want to go back to sleep with that nightmare waiting for you. It had been haunting you since you accepted the job at Princeton-Plainsboro. You hadn’t had nightmares like that in a long time, not since... You shook your head, shaking off the memories and thoughts. 

Quickly giving up on sleep, you went to take a shower and get ready for the day. 

* * *

You took a deep breath.

You were finally here; you almost couldn't believe it. It felt like a dream. You felt prepared and not at all at the same time, but you reminded yourself of what you had done to get here. Countless sleepless nights and hours studying. You were the best in your area of expertise, angiology, and it got you to where you were now. You saw the grand hospital and you felt like you needed to pinch yourself again, just to make sure it wasn't a dream, but you already knew it wasn't.

All you had to do was walk in, put your knowledge to action, and this was how you were going to learn how to do it. Easy-peasy... Right?

As you walked towards the reception area, you wondered what you might have to do today. You hadn’t encountered anybody at this hospital except Dr. Lisa Cuddy, who had offered you the job and met with you to talk about the details of the position, but you never actually met Dr. House himself during the process. You’d heard many conflicting things about him, but you figured it would be best not to make any judgments until you met him. 

You walked into the hospital and faltered in your step. There was a balcony overlooking the first floor from the second one, surrounding the entire reception area. There were doors and elevators with patients and doctors walking in every direction. You looked up and around, taking everything in, no longer paying attention to the people around you. This led to you running into a wall. 

No, not a wall. A human. 

Walls don’t fall over when you walk into them (at least, none you had ever encountered). Walls also don’t curse. You fell backwards and immediately sat up again to try and help whoever you had just knocked over, ignoring the growing ache on your bottom from your fall. You looked down to reach a hand to whoever you knocked over, taking a second to process what just happened.

How _great_ , you managed to knock over a guy with a cane in a hospital on your first day. The man reached for your hand and you helped pull him up before reaching down again, this time to pick up his cane. You held it out to him, looking up at his face for the first time. He had startlingly blue eyes and deep brown hair. 

“Oh my, I’m so sorry about that, first day and all. Are you alright?” You managed to get out without stuttering, but he was already walking away. 

“I was doing GREAT before _somebody_ knocked me over,” He announced loudly. This got you some dirty looks from both the patients and nurses.

Well, _okay then,_ you thought, eyebrows furrowing at the strange man. He looked oddly familiar, but you had only seen his face for about a second before he took his cane and marched off. You brushed it off as feeling nervous or your excitement and continued to the receptionist.

You stopped suddenly when you realized something was wrong. Something was missing. You checked your pockets. _Your wallet_. You just got here; you haven’t been able to even see your locker yet, much less put anything away in it. You mentally facepalmed yourself for keeping the wallet in your back pocket as you turned around as quickly as you could and scanned the floor where you had fallen. There wasn’t anything there. 

“Oh no- That bastard!” You silently seethed as you ran back out the hospital doors. You stood outside the hospital and looked both ways. You’d been pick-pocketed before, but this was the absolute worse moment for this to happen. You didn’t have time for this! You saw the man whisk behind the corner of the building and you ran to catch up. 

“Hey! You! Get back here!” you yelled as you turned the corner. 

You couldn't even appreciate what a lovely day it was. 

“Yeah, I doubt you can outrun me,” You muttered, although he was quick, considering. 

You slowed up to a light jog, catching up to him quickly. 

“I think you have something of mine,” you said impatiently, standing in front of him to face him and to stop him from walking any further. Now that you got a closer look at him, he did look familiar. You were sure you'd seen him somewhere before. 

“Oh, right. You probably want this back,” He responded as you held your hand out. He reached into his coat dramatically and whipped out your wallet with a flourish. Did he not even care that he just took your wallet and you caught him?

“There wasn't anything interesting in there anyway,” He said, as if he was annoyed at you for having a boring wallet. You looked through your wallet to make sure it still had all of its contents. Nothing was missing. Honestly, what type of person steals a wallet but doesn't take anything from it? Not that you were complaining, you needed that 10 dollar bill to get you lunch. You held onto your wallet, not trusting your traitorous pocket to keep it safe at the moment.

When you looked up again, the man was already walking around you, as if you were just wasting his time and he had somewhere to be. You doubted that for some reason. 

"Really? You steal my wallet and that's what you have to say?!" You said, partly shocked and partly fuming. 

Who did he think he was? 


	3. First Days and First Impressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this took forever to write. Sorry. Im trying to get into a good writing schedule so I can get chapters out each week. Shoutout to my beta reader, James, who helped me a lot with the interactions in this chapter.

Who was this guy? You started walking next to him. You couldn't just let him walk away like that. In that moment you let yourself forget about the minutes ticking away until you were due at work. 

“Why are you still following me? I gave back that piece of leather you call a wallet already, didn’t I?”

“Why did you take my wallet?” You snapped back. He seemed amused at your question, but ignored it nonetheless. 

“You have a job to get to and yet you insist on following a lowly pickpocket. Why?”. 

“Well- Maybe I just-” You didn’t know why you were following him. You got your wallet back and now was not the time to be wasting it. You did have a job and you needed to make a good impression. You had two choices: 1) Let this thief get away and start your workday or 2) Follow this guy around and do... what? Drag him to a police station? Maybe... just _maybe_ , he had a point... 

You sighed, swallowing your pride. “You know what? You’re right. Have a horrible day.” You turned around with your nose in the air and walked to the hospital entrance without looking back, trying to push this waste of time to the back of your mind. 

* * *

House looked at you as you walked away, intrigued. This was going to be a fun week.

* * *

Walking into the hospital for the second time, you were determined not to let anything stop you from reaching Dr. House’s office and starting on your first case. Finding the locker room and dropping off your things was easy enough, now you all you had to do was enter the office. You knew his office was on the top floor. After that, all you needed to do was ask for where on the top floor it was. Easy enough. 

You walked into the nearest elevator on the first floor. You didn’t know if it was anxiety or nerves or the reality of where you were and where you were heading settling, but as soon as the elevator doors closed you had to remember to slow down your breathing and do your best to ignore how sweaty your palms were. Were they like that 15 minutes ago? For Pete’s sake, this wasn’t the first day of school. You were an adult, ready for work. _Professional,_ you thought to yourself. You needed to calm down and stop fidgeting as if you didn't know what you were doing. You were ready for this... right? 

You were pulled out of your thoughts at the sound of your name. You looked up at the noise and noticed you were already leaving the second floor and Dr. Cuddy had entered when it did. She looked concerned and asked you if you were alright. 

“Of course. Sorry I spaced out. Just a bit nervous”. _Just a bit_ was understating what you were feeling, but you weren’t going to tell her that. 

“First day nerves. I still remember my first day as Dean. All you have to do is get through the day and show everyone what you can do.” She gave you a reassuring smile, and you’ll admit you did feel a little bit better. 

“Thank you. I just hope I’m good enough to stay on the team. This is _the_ Dr _._ Gregory House, after all. I’ve heard a lot about him”. You thought about the many stories of his interactions with patients, or lack thereof. 

“I wouldn’t worry too much about him. He won’t care if you can play well with others or if you’re smarter than everyone in the building. You help him solve his puzzles and you’ll be fine." You took a deep breath and thanked Dr. Cuddy. She smiled encouragingly. Maybe this day will go well, despite its already rocky start. Dr. Cuddy got off the elevator on the third floor, off to do her job. You vaguely wondered how much longer until you were sent out to complete tasks to solve a case. The elevator reached the 4th floor and yourself and a nurse got off. 

Turns out it wasn’t hard to find Dr. House’s office, it was only two doors down the hallway you got off at. It was right past the Head of Oncology’s office, so that was easy enough to remember. The office was lined with glass walls and doors so you could see into the room and out the other side into the sky and trees. It was a pretty sight to work to, with natural light and green peeking in. The view must be beautiful in the mornings. It was divided into Dr. House’s office and a workroom for the team to do the diagnosis work. You walked into the bigger workroom where you noticed there were two people waiting. They noticed you walk in and seemed confused.

You stood at the door for a moment to gather your nerve before walking over and extending your hand to the nearest person. He had an air around him that made you wonder whether this man was a coworker or someone who signed your paychecks. He was even dressed exactly how you imagined a professional to look. Still, you had a feeling he wasn't Dr. House.

You shared introductions. He was Dr. Foreman; Cuddy had told you about him and the two others who were learning under Dr. House. The other woman in the room got up and introduced herself as Dr. Cameron. Only Dr. House and Chase (if you remembered correctly) were missing now. 

“So, you’re new,” Dr. Foreman pointed out. 

You opened your mouth to make a sarcastic remark on the obvious statement, but stopped yourself, thinking better of it. First impressions were important, after all. You settled with agreeing with him. 

“Of course. I would’ve hoped Dr. House or Cuddy would’ve shared some information on me?” They looked at each other and looked back at you. You took that as a no. 

You explained you had just finished med school and Cuddy offered you the job, so you took it. They both seemed nice. They listened intently to what you were saying. Dr. Cameron was understanding straight away, but Foreman looked like he doubted that was all there was to your story. He would be right.

Your anxiety morphed into excitement and the next thing you knew you could barely contain it. You weren’t afraid of making a bad impression or forgetting information, now you just wanted to meet your new boss, start a new case, and show off your skills. This was real. You were doing this. 

“When does Dr. House usually arrive at the office?” You asked, now wondering what their schedule normally was. 

“Well, he doesn't really show up at any specific time. As you know, hospitals don't run on 9-5 hours, but House especially adheres to that. As in, never stays in from 9 to 5 and you never know when he'll arrive.” Cameron said carefully, scanning your face for your reaction. 

“Yeah, no matter how much he tries to convince Cuddy that he works _all_ his hours,” Foreman added. “He’ll probably show up between 11 and 3, if he shows up at all.” You appreciated him answering your question and Camerons explanation, but your eyes went wide when you heard the times, although this seemed like normal behavior.

“Wait, so what do we do in the meantime?” You reminded yourself to keep calm and focus on what was important: doing your job. 

“Normally we look through the cases together and try and choose one, but sometimes House just swoops in with a case he chose already.” 

“And Dr. Chase?” You asked, still not sure what to make of this system. You had never worked like this, and you hadn’t even started working yet! 

“Chase knows House will be late. So, he takes his time to show up too, but not as much. He’ll show up in about half an hour.” Foreman said this as if he'd already tried to fight this system and was now simply resigned to it.

You sat down at the table; Cameron next to you and Dr. Foreman in front of you. You thought about your options. You could sit here and go over cases or go back downstairs and do clinic duty. Staying, could also help you get to know your coworkers and the hospital. You definitely had a preference. 

“So, what do we have?” You nodded your head to the several files on the table. They were obviously used to this and they dismissed many of the cases, no matter how life-threatening it might’ve been. You stayed quiet as they conversed, listening to what they said and learning how they worked. They dismissed the ones that they thought would be ‘boring’ or easy to solve. This surprised you, but you supposed it shouldn’t have. They couldn’t take each case brought to them and had to prioritize. 

Dr. Chase came in just when Foreman said he would, about 30 minutes later. You noticed his Australian accent, not too strong, but noticeable. 

He didn’t seem to think your presence was anything new and simply sat next to Foreman to join the discussion. After an hour or so, when you had narrowed down the list to 3 cases, you had already become an active part of the conversation. You didn’t even realize how much time had passed but the four of you worked well together, each making their own contributions and giving thoughts on what a percentage on the paper might mean and what diseases or disorders it might be linked to. 

That’s when you realized that you were surrounded with people who loved what they did and did it well. They showed it in different ways, that was for sure, but there was no doubt. This made you feel even more excited because you hadn’t even had a case yet. It felt unrealistic, like a dream that you can never forget. 

Dr. Chase was pointing out an elevated SED rate from one of the files when he stopped mid sentence, looking to the door over your shoulder. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

“You’re here early.” He said it like a question, as if this was truly a phenomenon.

You heard someone walk into the room, along with the distinct thump of a cane. You looked over to see a man walking to the head of the table. You couldn't believe this. You froze for a moment in shock, mouth agape, as he scanned your face.

“ _You_ ,” You glared at him, your eyes narrowing as you stood up. 

“Yes, me," the Pickpocket, and your boss, deadpanned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! Thanks for reading this far! Feel free to drop a comment or kudo to share your opinion, concerns or ideas you have, whatever you feel. Have fun and stay safe!


	4. AP Calculus and some Toner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Used the case info from episode eight of season 1 of House, MD.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically, Friday ended 3 hours ago, but I still see this as an absolute win. Its done and posted. I should be posting new chapters a lot more often now that I have my life a bit more organized. Stay safe!

“ _ You’re  _ Dr. House?” You said at the same time Dr. Chase asked, “You know him?” 

You were standing with both hands flat on the table, glaring at a man who looked  _ way  _ more amused than he should be. You glanced at the clock on the wall. 

“Not really. He pickpocketed me less than two hours ago” You said, keeping your voice even and calm. This wasn’t a time to lose your cool. 

“House, this isn’t how you greet people now, is it?” Chase said, obviously trying (and failing) to hide a grin. Did they think this was funny? Was this appropriate, or normal? 

“I was just trying to get to know our new friend,” House said, turning around and walking into his office next door. The other three got up and followed him, but you were ahead of them. 

“Turns out, Y/N here graduated college and got her job here. That’s it.” He walked into his office and tossed some files onto his desk. He looked at you, maintaining eye contact as he plopped into his chair. 

“So, who are you?” He put his cane to lean against his desk.

“You don’t have a background. I know where Chase studied, grew up, and why he talks funny. I know why Foreman doesn’t have a heart, got arrested, and still works here. I even know why Cameron is here, even though that story is as boring as Foreman's love life.” Each time he said something about each of them, they looked progressively more annoyed, but still resigned.  _ This really was normal for them, then _ . 

It took you a moment to realize he was waiting for you to answer his question. 

“Listen, you have some questions about me? Don’t try and steal my wallet.” You crossed your hands over your chest before continuing. 

“Dr. Cuddy gave you all the information you need about me and you are  _ not _ entitled to know about my personal life. Besides, if you couldn’t find anything, maybe it’s for a reason.” You held eye contact with him, silently challenging him.

_ One beat. _

_ Two beats. _

_ Three beats. _

You counted to six before glancing at the various paper weights on his desk. You saw your folder, with only two or three papers in it. You needed to remember to thank Dr. Cuddy for helping you out. It can’t have been easy to keep House out of your information. 

The trio around you looked at you curiously and then looked back at House. 

“So, you pickpocketed her, thinking she would have more information?” Foreman inquired. 

“At least  _ something  _ of her background, like where she was born? That seems like basic information to ask for. There’s certainly nothing useful in here,” House picked up the folder and dropped it again(for dramatic effect? emphasis?), this time the papers sliding out when they hit the desk. 

“Why do you need that information?” Cameron asked, frowning. At least she didn’t seem to approve of this attempt at pilfering.

“Wait, why wouldn’t you be able to find any info on her?” Chase said, stepping forward towards House as if that would make his question usurp Camerons. 

“Obviously, I want to know who Cuddy is making me hire. And that’s what I’m trying to find out, Chase. Keep up.” 

House looked you over after chastising Chase. Not in a “I’m-being-creepy-and-checking-you-out” way but in a “I’m-picking apart-every-aspect-of-what-you-are-and-finding-my-answers” kind of way. To your satisfaction, it looked like he didn’t find anything new. 

“I just want to do my job. We can start over if you just stay out of my business,” You proposed. House scoffed.  _ Scoffed _ . 

“Well then, can we just get started? We have a couple cases over there,” You gestured to the table you were sitting at, “Unless you already have a case?” You looked at him expectantly, raising your eyebrows. 

He got up and led the way back into the other room and yelled, “What do I pay you for!? Get to work!” 

You decided not to correct him or further question the man. It was for the best. 

The four of you went back to your seats as Dr. House stood at the end of the table. You grabbed one of the files and slid it toward him after glancing at the name. 

“That one’s a teen boy who got nauseous and disoriented in the middle of an AP calculus exam. Now he has severe bradycardia; heart rate 48 and dropping fast,” You recited. 

“Teenager? Nausea? Calculus? Obviously not drugs,” House said, his tone laced with sarcasm. 

“His tox screen was clean, and he’s still not any better.” 

“And his CAT scan was clean, no infections,” Cameron added. 

“We thought shigellosis, but it wouldn’t account for the bradycardia,” You said, remembering when you discussed it briefly while waiting for Dr. House. 

“Then why tell me?” House said, grabbing a marker and writing on the board by the table. He wrote down the symptoms,  _ Nausea _ ,  _ Bradycardia _ , and then he wrote  _ 1,4-butenediol. _

“Wait, isn’t that used in copy machine toner?” You said, not sure where he was going with that. 

“Yep. Gives you all the same symptoms, and the same high. Bit pricey, though. It wouldn’t show up on the tox screen.” You would’ve never thought of toner, but he was right. He turned around to face the table again. 

“Foreman, go to his house and find our copy machine. Cameron, go with him in case he finds it. Chase, you and the new kid can go check on our patient.” Everyone got up to do their various jobs when you finished processing what he’d said. 

“Wait- They have permission to search the house, right?” 

* * *

Cuddy couldn’t believe she was still arguing with House about the addition to his team. Then again, maybe she shouldn’t have been so surprised. 

_"I don’t know anything about her!"_ That was his argument now. He was standing in front of her desk, reminding her of a similar situation from a only week ago. 

“Well, you just met her. You don’t need to know everything about someone’s life to work with them. Besides, if you want to know something, you ask. Why can't _you_ do that?” Cuddy felt like she was trying to instruct a toddler about privacy.

“I thought you knew me better than that. You know  _ why _ .” He pouted at the last word, as if she’d just insulted his favorite stuffed toy (these toddler analogies work a little too well). 

“Humor me.” 

“Everybody lies, of course.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you if you've read this far. Please comment if you like something, or if something threw you off. Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks and have fun!  
> EDIT: Heeey so some personal stuff has come up and I won't be able to post for a while(a while being about 8 months as of Dec. 3rd, 2020). I'll still be working on this fic and other projects, I just won't be able to share any of it for a bit. In other words, this entire account is going on hiatus. Stay safe!  
> EDIT: Now this chapter is properly revised. Feel free to point out anything I might have missed, please.  
> EDIT: *creepy singsong voice* I'm baaack!


	5. Pop Quiz!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “New kid, pop quiz!” Your head snapped up from the file you were looking over at the sound of House’s voice. “If I have three donuts and Foreman takes one, what type of donuts did I have?” You gave him a blank stare for a moment. You blinked once.
> 
> Twice.
> 
> “How does this relate to the case?” You tried asking.
> 
> “Wrong answer! Try again,” he rebutted. The other three were looking at you with various degrees of intrigue on their faces.

“Hey Matt, we need to ask you some questions.”

The kid seemed spaced out, mumbling, eyes unfocused and looking off into the distance. You saw the mother sitting in a chair by the bed. Her hair was in a messy ponytail and her hands were shaking slightly. You wondered if she had eaten anything since arriving. 

“Excuse me, Matt?” You tried to get his attention again. You turned your head to Chase, worried. He turned his attention to the mother instead and ran through the standard questions.

“Is there any family history of mental illness or disease?”

“No.”

“Any types of cancer?”

“No.”

“Has he been exposed to drugs, whether at home or at school?”

“ _ No _ .”

“Are you sure?”

“Doctor,” she said, throwing her hands up. “My son has never done drugs in his life. He was at home studying last night. There was nothing wrong with him then.” 

“Did any friends come over to study?” 

“You mean to give him  _ drugs _ ?” Her lips curled upward with distaste as she said it.

“No, friends didn’t come over," She continued, not waiting for an answer. "Listen, I tested him myself. I knew he was stressed; I used a home kit. Tested some hair off his brush. I don’t want him to know because I  _ do  _ trust him.”

She was adamant, and she was a distressed mom. There was no convincing her that her son didn’t do drugs unless we had undeniable proof.  Chase knew that too, so he moved on.

“Is there any family history of-” 

He paused mid-sentence, looking at the monitor as it started beeping. 

“Chase-” You started before he cut you off.

“10 milliliters of diazepam. Stat,” he ordered, gesturing to the IV. You ran to it just as Matt started shaking violently.

_ He was seizing.  _

You grabbed the diazepam and put it into Matt’s IV. Your brain went from _Asking-Questions_ mode to _Saving-Lives_ mode and it was like you could see the steps laid out in front of you.

_ Step one- Turn the patient on their side _ . 

Check.

_ Step 2- Make sure they can’t hurt themselves. _

_ Step 3... _

_ 4... _

Anyone with less experience would have frozen, a blubbering mess and, more importantly, in the way of the trained doctors and nurses trying to do their jobs. You knew better, you  _ were _ one of those doctors doing their job. You ran through the protocol and you didn’t even notice it was over until you were back in House's office with the rest of the team. 

* * *

When Foreman and Cameron returned from the home, you hadn’t expected them to return with tomato sauce. They pitched their idea of botulism and House tore it down. This was a repeating cycle. Dr. House uses the team to bounce ideas and do the dirty work, and he puts it all together with a dangerous amount of assumptions thrown into the mix. He was smart enough for it to work, and cunning enough for everyone to learn something. Enough to do his job and keep everyone on their toes. This wasn’t what you had expected, but it seemed to be what you needed. There was a dynamic established and you were finding your place among the team. In the time that you had been at the hospital, you were able to evaluate your coworkers and tried to make a mental game plan to earn their respect as a team member. You were back in the diagnostics office when House addressed you again.

“New kid, pop quiz!” Your head snapped up from the file you were reading at the sound of House’s voice. “If I have three donuts and Foreman takes one, what type of donuts did I have?” You gave him a blank stare for a moment. You blinked once.

Twice.

“How does this relate to the case?” You tried asking.

“Wrong answer! Try again,” he rebutted. The other three were looking at you with various degrees of intrigue on their faces.

“Uhm, whichever type of donuts Foreman is allergic to. You’re too petty to share without something to gain and Foreman is too stubborn to let you enjoy any donuts, but you know that.” You said this directly at House, letting him know that he wasn’t going to catch you without an answer and silently praying that what you said wasn’t going to backfire.

“Congratulations, you failed the quiz! You were supposed to say, ‘But Mr. Boss Sir, the case is more important than a quiz, and we need to give the patient hydrolase before his heart gives out!’” He finished his childish imitation of you by putting a hand to his forehead and swooning dramatically. Dr. Chase let out a laugh and tried to brush it off as a cough while Cameron and Foreman looked confused at what House just said.

“Hydrolase? That means you’re going with the pesticides?” You inquired, thinking of the theory that Dr. Foreman pitched earlier.

“Yep.” He replied simply, seeming all too satisfied with himself.

He was testing you. This was his way of seeing where you fit with the other puzzle pieces. That meant he was not only ~~accepting~~ tolerating your presence, but considering how you would work as part of his team.  _ This was great. _

“What are you smirking at? There’s a kid dying, for Pete’s sake!”

Correction: This wasn’t terrible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I'm back! Also, thank you if you've read this far! Chapters will be coming more regularly, I have lots more time! Upcoming chapters will also be longer and the plot should be moving along faster. This will have 7 chapters (I think), but I also just wanted to explore this world of House MD a little more.  
> Please feel free to comment if you liked or didn't like something, or if something threw you off as you read. This is my first time writing a story like this, so any and all feedback is appreciated. Stay safe and have fun!


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